This show definitely leaves you with the feeling that anyone who is seriously overweight has some major trauma in their backgroud....not always true....

11-18-2010, 11:32 AM

captain

Re: 11/9 show discussion **spoilers**

Frado and Brennan have been game playing from day 1. I would like to see the 2 of them below the yellow line at the same time and sit back and watch the fur fly.

11-18-2010, 02:59 PM

AJane

Re: 11/9 show discussion **spoilers**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PWS;4106169;

This show definitely leaves you with the feeling that anyone who is seriously overweight has some major trauma in their backgroud....not always true....

Yes, and isn't it interesting that as they try to make us feel as much sympathy as possible for the contestants with such horrific backstories, there's a giant sign in the gym with a quote from Jillian that says (paraphrasing here) that pity doesn't help anyone?

11-29-2010, 09:31 AM

mischief4911

Re: 11/9 show discussion **spoilers**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maybaybie;4101927;

Did anyone else know that was Jesse in sillouette when Bob was at the 'mystery loser's house? I figured it was just to throw us off and at the end the actual person wouldn't fit that silouette, but, no- it was Jesse. As soon as I saw Jesse was partnered with the much taller Aaron I was sure who the mystery losers were. It kind-of was a let down during the whole show to know who was going home.

I couldn't tell who the taller sillouette was , but the shorter one on the left was definately Jesse. I spotted that right away. For some reason I had myself convinced that the taller person was a woman and was thinking it was Lisa or Jessica and that somehow the lowest weight-loss amount in each of the 2 teams under the yellow line would go home. Wishful thinking on my part I guess. I LOVE Aaron, and really, really, really wanted him to win the whole thing :crying, REALLY! My heart is broken for him. Don't get me wrong, I believe he is so much stronger than he ever thought he could be and that he has the will to reach his goal, and I really don't go for the whole "so and so deserves it more" crap, but I think Aaron is someone who could have benefitted greatly by having extra time at the ranch, especially since he came to the ranch later than most of the others and because he had/has more to lose than most of the others. Sorry I was rooting for you Aaron. It seems to be the kiss of death for reality tv contestants if your my fave :sad, or it at least feels that way.
I was originally rooting for Fredo (yeah, I know). In the begining he was so loving and cared so much for the others. He really appeared to be a big hearted guy who was all about losing the weight and helping the others do the same and being supportive. He was so kind to Elizabeth and some of the other weaker people. The minute the word allience came out and the secret meetings started, in my mind it all changed. I don't even understand why "allience" enters into the equation at all! No, I'm not dumb, I understand money has a massively seductive quality to it. Believe me. I myself am in pretty dire straights in that department (and I say that with the utmost seriousness), but this program is supposed to be about saving your life, not about who can win the $$$, or at least that was my understanding of it. This isn't Survivor people, this is SURVIVAL! Okay, sure you want to give some incentive, great, but if money is a bigger motivation to become healthy and live a long and active life in order to be around to watch your children become adults, spend as many years as humanly possible with the person you pledged "til death do we part" to, and to bounce your grandchildren on your knee than I think there is something wrong. I don't know if Im alone in this, but to me the whole "game play" thing cheapens the whole process. Of course everyone wants to stay on the ranch as long as possible to gain the most knowledge of what to eat, how to exercise effectively, and to avoid temptations. It's less stressful minus worry about weight-ins and game play which I think are only a very few things less stressful at home rather than at the ranch. As far as rewards for losing the weight (the money), again if seeing yourself not enrobed by years of self-abuse, running and playing in the yard with your children, your loved ones putting their arms around you, and gazing into the love of your life's eyes on your 50th, 60th, 70th wedding anniversary aren't reward enough than perhaps your obese body isn't really your biggest problem.
I am not saying that money is the sole motivation for everyone on the show, or even for those playing the game hardcore (maybe they are in rough financial straights also), but has not been the stated reasoning given by any of the contestants. They all have said they are there to stay alive and to live a healthy life with their loved ones. I could respect more if someone said " I want to get healthy and I want to win because I'm broke, so Im going to form an allience and do what I have to do to keep a roof over my families' heads. Of course that may not be what someone wants to say of national tv either, but even so that isn't the impression I've gotten from anyone.
Anyway this is a part of the show I have never liked and really doesn't seem like fair play to me. They make concessions with how they tally the scores by using weight loss percentage to take into account the wide weight range and that someone who needs to loose 50lbs would (typically) loose it faster than someone who needs to loose 400lbs, but if someone has consistantly done well and given their everything every single day can be sent home instead of someone who doesn't put their all into the program and makes excuses and looses next to nothing every week , or someone who doesn't want to be there unless they are faced with being voted off then work hard for a week only to half- ass it again and not really have the determination to do the work consistantly stays while people who sweat blood get sent home because they are a threat to someone not working as hard to win the money. To me it just isn't right.
This is the season of paying it forward. I would have liked to see a different format. How about for every lb lost by the contestants a dollar amount is donated to fund a health and wellness center for a whole community to use? Or to fund physical education and nutrition education in schools to teach children when they are young the importance of taking care of one's self? It seems to me like a further-reaching prospect than just for the benefit of a couple of people.
I apologize for my longwindedness, and if I sound judgemenal that is not my intention. I just think that the benefits should be shared around in a way that could do the most people good. JMHO.... :shrug